The ghost of the former CEO, Joe, is still there. He got rid of the talent, promoted his cronies and did some bizarre hiring to top positions. Employees and managers who asked tough questions were labeled "complainers". Joe reinforced the Japanese culture of “keep your mouth shut” and never question senior management, no matter how clueless or destructive is their actions.
The only creativity that’s appreciated involve Excel and shifting numbers between columns; i.e. kicking the can down the road from bonus to bonus until retirement.